A retired chemistry professor, he staged weekly protests in front of a Manhattan courthouse, angering prosecutors, who tried to send him to prison. Source: New York Times
Posts published in “Civil Rights and Liberties”
Two Teenagers Were Fighting. Only the Black One Was Handcuffed.
By Gotham Rex on February 17, 2022
A video of the fight at a New Jersey mall circulated widely online. Gov. Philip D. Murphy said the appearance of “racially disparate treatment” was “deeply, deeply disturbing.” Source: New York Times
Landlord Accused of Demanding Sex From Tenants to Pay $4.5 Million
By Gotham Rex on December 15, 2021
A federal civil rights suit had accused Joseph Centanni of demanding sexual acts from tenants in Elizabeth, N.J. He denied wrongdoing, but agreed to pay. Source: New York Times
Rev. C. Herbert Oliver, Civil Rights Activist, Dies at 96
By Gotham Rex on December 11, 2021
He helped focus the nation on bombings and police abuse in Alabama in the 1960s and, later, on problems with the education of Black students in Brooklyn. Source: New York Times
Federal Scrutiny of Cuomo Widens to His Office’s Treatment of Women
By Gotham Rex on December 3, 2021
The Justice Department opened an inquiry into reports of sexual harassment and retaliation in the former governor’s administration. Source: New York Times
Mount Vernon, N.Y., Police Face Federal Civil Rights Investigation
By Gotham Rex on December 3, 2021
The inquiry will focus on whether the Mount Vernon department engaged in a “pattern or practice of unlawful policing,” officials said. Source: New York Times
3 Officers Used Excessive Force in Arrest of Black Teen, U.S. Says
By Gotham Rex on November 19, 2021
The officers were charged with violating the teenager’s civil rights when they stomped on his head in New Jersey in 2018. Source: New York Times
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams Announces Civil Rights Push
By Gotham Rex on November 19, 2021
Damian Williams, the first Black U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, noted a rise in anti-Asian and antisemitic crimes. Source: New York Times
Rev. W. Sterling Cary, Pioneering Black Churchman, Dies at 94
By Gotham Rex on November 19, 2021
He embraced what became known as Black liberation theology and, in 1972, became the first Black leader of the National Council of Churches. Source: New York Times
Saving the Connecticut Farm That Helped Spark M.L.K.’s Dream
By Gotham Rex on November 12, 2021
Summers spent working on a tobacco farm in the 1940s opened a teenage Martin Luther King Jr. to a world beyond the Jim Crow South. Source: New York Times
How the N.Y.P.D. Is Using Post-9/11 Tools on Everyday New Yorkers
By Gotham Rex on September 8, 2021
Two decades after the attack on New York City, the Police Department is using counterterrorism tools and tactics to combat routine street crime. Source: New York Times
New York City’s Vaccine Passport Plan Renews Online Privacy Debate
By Gotham Rex on August 4, 2021
The mainstreaming of digital vaccine passes could lead to more surveillance, privacy researchers cautioned. Source: New York Times
Why NY's Excelsior Pass Vaccine Passport Could Cost Taxpayers $17 Million
By Gotham Rex on June 9, 2021
The state’s contract with I.B.M. details a Phase 2 of the Excelsior Pass, which could include uses that some advocates say raise privacy concerns. Source: New York Times
Maya Wiley Has ‘50 Ideas’ and One Goal: To Make History as Mayor
By Gotham Rex on May 19, 2021
Ms. Wiley has unveiled an array of policies to fight inequality as she seeks to become the first woman elected mayor of New York. Can she break out of the pack? Source: New York Times
Bill McCreary Dies at 87; Blazed Trail for Black Journalists on TV
By Gotham Rex on May 11, 2021
He was hired at what became the Fox flagship station in New York in 1967, when there were few Black faces on the air, and became an Emmy-winning anchor. Source: New York Times